NFL News — 2026-05-03#
Read First#
The New York Jets have officially cemented their footprint in the rapidly expanding women’s flag football space, wrapping up the inaugural ECAC season that they heavily backed. As the league grows and plans for a 2027 expansion, expect other NFL franchises to follow suit in supporting collegiate flag football platforms to cultivate the next generation of the sport.
Highlights by Theme#
Draft & Prospects#
Rookie minicamps are in full swing, and this year’s undrafted pool features some notable athletic bloodlines looking to prove they belong. In Baltimore, Son of an NBA Legend, Nick Dawkins Confident He Can Earn Roster Spot at Center focuses on Nick Dawkins, the son of the late NBA star Darryl Dawkins. Meanwhile, Zach Switzer, grandson of Barry, super grateful for tryout at Cowboys minicamp details how Switzer is fighting for a spot at Dallas’s camp as a tryout player, hoping to make his mark at the very facility where his grandfather famously led the team to a Super Bowl XXX victory. Both prospects are embracing the uphill battle of entering the league as underdogs with something to prove.
Roster Moves & Free Agency#
The post-draft roster shuffling continues in Las Vegas, as the front office executed an eight-player swap to churn the bottom of their offseason roster. According to the Raiders sign 4 players, waive 4 report, the team signed safety Devyn Perkins, tackles Niklas Henning and Kamar Missouri, and tight end Patrick Gurd. To make room for the new additions, the Raiders parted ways with defensive end Charles Snowden, guards McClendon Curtis and Layden Robinson, and tight end Matt Lauter.
Team Beats#
In Baltimore, the starting center job remains wide open following Tyler Linderbaum’s departure in free agency. Undrafted rookie Nick Dawkins joins veterans like Danny Pinter, Jovaughn Gwyn, and Corey Bullock in the positional battle, hoping to utilize his existing connection with Run Game Coordinator Dwayne Ledford to gain an edge. Over in Dallas, the Cowboys are utilizing rookie minicamp to evaluate tryout players like Zach Switzer to round out their depth, testing him on 100-percent effort reps across special teams and running back drills.
League News & Culture#
The New York Jets successfully concluded the inaugural ECAC Women’s Flag Football season, a 15-team collegiate initiative launched with a $1 million commitment from the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation. Marymount claimed “The Betty” trophy with a 37-26 victory over Franciscan in the championship game held at the Jets’ training facility, as detailed in Marymount Claims Jets ECAC Women’s Flag Football Championship. Coaches across the conference reflected on the milestone, noting that the NFL’s direct investment has accelerated the sport’s collegiate legitimacy and created real pathways for female athletes, highlighted in ECAC Coaches Reflect on a Historic First Season: ‘The Moment Everything Changed’.
Storylines to Watch#
The ongoing evaluation of undrafted and tryout talent during rookie minicamps will dictate the bottom of 90-man rosters heading into summer training camps. Furthermore, the massive success and planned 2027 expansion of the Jets-backed ECAC flag football league signals that NFL clubs are prioritizing grass-roots investments in women’s sports as a core, league-wide growth strategy.